Bottle cap



June 26,1923.

C. C. PARKER BOTTLE CAP Original Filed July 15 1921 amen-to:

(1 Roman Patented June 26, 11923.

CHARLES C. PARKER, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOTTLE CAP.

Application filed July 13, 1921, Serial No. 484,343. Renewed May 8, 1923.

To alt whom it may concem Be it known that I, CHARLE-s C. PARKER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Caps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in paper caps adapted particularly for closing the mouths of milk bottles of the usual type, having a recess in the bottle mouth for receiving the cap. Milk bottle caps have heretofore been made with body portions which fit against the shoulder in the bottle mouth and flanges which extend over the top of the bottle, to form a double seal, one at the recess in the bottle mouth, and one at the top of the bottle. In these caps, as made, the height of the flange above the bottom of the cap is approximately the same as the height of the top of the bottle above the shoulder in the bottle mouth, and hence, when the cap is applied to the bottle, if the bottom of the cap rests against the shoulder, the flange frequently does not make a good seal at the top of the bottle. This is the case particularly where the bottle mouths are not perfectly formed with respect to the distance between the shoulder and the top of the bottle. .Again, the mouths of milk bottles are not always truly circular, some being slightly oval, or otherwise out of true, so that a cap of fixed circular form will not make a good seal in the recess in the bottle mouth.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cap which will make a tight seal at the recess in the bottle mouth, and also at the top of the bottle, notwithstanding slight irregularities in the shape of the bottle mouth, or in the distance between the top of the bottle and the shoulder within the bottle mouth. In carrying out the invention, I provide a disk, the body portion of which is adapted to fit within the recess in the bottle mouth, and this disk is provided with a flange which, in the finished cap, before its application to a bottle, is folded inwardly over the body portion and then outwardly upon itself, so that the distance between the bottom of the body portion and the outward fold of the flange is considerably less than the height of the top of the bottle above the shoulder within the bottle mouth. When the cap is' pressed into the bottle mouth, the outward fold on the flange first engages the top of the bottle, and the flange unfolds as the body portion moves to its seat against the shoulder. Thus, the flange is unfolded Just enough to insure a seal against the top of the body and against the shoulder. To strengthen the cap and to make it form a tight seal within the recess in the bottle, notwithstanding the mouth of the bottle may be oval, or otherwise out of true, I provide a strengthening disk which rests upon the body portion of the flanged disk and has thin stiffened segmental marginal portions which extend beneath the inward fold on the flange. Each segmental portion is diametrically opposite a marginal notch or gap in the disk, and when the cap is pressed into a bottle mouth which is not exactly circular and which causes unusual side pressure against one of the segmental portions, the gap opposite this segment will allow the strengthening disk to adjust itself diametrically so as to equalize the pressure at opposite edges of the cap, and thus a seal will be formed in the recess even if the bottle mouth is somewhat out of true.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a central section through one of my improved caps;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the cap applied to a bottle, a portion of the bottle being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the strengthening and sealing disk; and,

Fig. 4 is a central section through a part of a carton and a number of caps therein, illustrating the manner in which the caps stack for shipment.

The cap A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is composed of a flanged disk a, adapted to close the bottle mouth, and a disk a, adapt ed to stiffen the central portion of the cap and to seat the margins of the disk at in, the annular recess in the bottle mouth and form a seal, regardless of slight irregularities in the form of the bottle mouth.

The disk at, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a body portion 1, adapted to rest on the annular shoulder 2, in the mouth of the bottle B, and a flan e having a part 3 folded inwardly over t e body and a part 4, folded outwardly on the part 3, extends beyond the margin of the body portion, as shown. The disk a has a circular central portion 5, of about the same thickness as the disk at, and segmental marginal portions 6, which are thinner and more resilient than the central portion of the disk. These thin segmental on the body portion of the disk a and the flangeon the latter is folded inwardly over the margin of the disk a and then outwardly upon itself, as shown in Fig. 1. In

the finished cap, the distance between the bottom 1 of the cap and the underside 'of'the part 4 of the flange considerably less than the distance between the shoulder 2 on the bottle and the top 8 of the bottle. a

In applying the cap to a bottle, the central part of the cap is pressed into thebottle mouth and as it passes downward to the shoulder 2, the part 4 of the ,flange bears upon the top ofthe bottle and the folds in the flange open, as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, a-seal is formed at the top of the bottle by the flange 4: before the body portion 1 of the dis'kseats against the shoulder 2, and this seal is maintained after the cap is in place because the flange unfolds just enough ito allow the part1 to seat on the shoulder.

With ca s having flangesof fixed height, the Qal at t e top of the bottle is imperfect because the distance between the shoulder in the bottle ,mouth and the top of the bottle varies; but with the cap of the present invention, the seal at the top of the bottle is always made because the distance between the vbottom of the cap and the lower side of the overhanging portion of the flange is less than the distance between the shoulder and the top of the bottle, to start with, and the flange unfolds just enough to measure the exact distance between the shoulder and the top of the bottle.

The segmental parts 6 of the disk a,

which are stiffened by the pressure applied, to them in the course of making the disks, press the edges of the body 1 into the recess in the bottle neck. In many milk bottles, the mouth of the bottle is not truly circular,

\ being sometimes slightly oval, or otherwise out of true, and a bottle cap which is exactly circular in form will not make a tight seal in the recess above the shoulder in the bottle mouth. By making the disk 11- with segmental marginal portions, each segment being opposite a notch in the margin, if the bottle mouth should be slightly out of true, so that more pressure is applied against one segment than another, the pressure against this segment will force the disk toward the opposing gap and the flange on the disk 0',

v opposite this gap, will yield sufli ciently to allow the disk in to adjust itself to the irregularity in the bottlelmouth.

' As the finished caps' have considerably less height than the ordinary bottle cap, a

greater number can be packed in a carton. This is desirable because it effects a saving in the packing and shipment. This is illustrated in Fig. 4, in which C represents a carton containing a number of caps A which, as shown, stack in a relatively small space What I claim is: 1. A milk-bottle closure comprising a paper disk having a body portion adapted to fit the recess in a milk bottle moutlr and having a flange folded inwardly over the body and thence outwardly upon itself, the height between the bottom of the body portion and the outward fold of the flange bebetween thebottom of the body portion and the outward fold of the flange being substantially less than the distance between the shoulder in the bottle and the top of the bottle,\and a strengthening disk fitting on the body of said flanged disk and extending between said inward fold and the body.

3. A milk-bottle closure comprising a paper disk having a body portion adapted to fit the recess in a milk bottle mouth and having a flange folded inwardly over the body and thence outwardly upon itself, the height between the bottom of the body portion and the outward fold of the flange being substantially less than the distance between the shoulder in the bottle and the top of the bottle, and a strengthening disk fitting on the body of said flanged disk and having relatively thin marginal portions extending between said inward fold and the body.

4. A milk-bottle closure comprising a paper disk having a body portion adapted to fit the recess in a milk bottle mouth .and having a flange folded inwardly overthe body and thence outwardly upon itself, the height between the bottom of the body portion and the outward fold of the flange being substantially less than the distance between the shoulder in the bottle and the top of the bottle, and a strengthening diskfitting on the body of said flanged disk and having segmental marginal portions extending between said inward fold and the body:

5. A milk-bottle closure comprising a paper disk having'a body portion adapted to fit the recess in a milk bottle mouth and having a flange folded inwardly over the bodyand thence outwardly u on itself, the height between the bottom of t e body portion and the outward fold of the flange being subbody of said flanged disk and having segmental marginal portions with intervening notches, each notch being diametrically pposite a segmental portion and said segmental portions extending between said inward fold and said body.

6. A milk-bottle closure comprising a paper disk having a body portion adapted to fit the recess in a milk bottle mouth and having a flange folded inwardly over the tion and the outward fold of the flange being substantially less than the distance between the shoulder in the bottle and the top of the bottle, and a strengthening disk fitting on the body of said flanged disk and having relatively thin, stiffened segmental marginal portions with intervening notches, each notch being opposite a segmental portion, and said segmental portions extending between said inward fold and said body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES C. PARKER. 

